The present invention relates to generally to systems, apparatus, devices and methods for interacting with computers and in particular to a system and method for providing to a user printed information.
The invention has been developed primarily to allow a large number of distributed users to interact with networked information via printed matter and optical sensors, thereby to obtain interactive printed matter on demand via high-speed networked color printers. Although the invention will largely be described herein with reference to this use, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to use in this field.
Various methods, systems and apparatus relating to the present invention are disclosed in the following co-pending applications filed by the applicant or assignee of the present invention simultaneously with the present application:
NPA014US, NPA015US, NPA022US, NPA023US, NPA024US, NPA025US, NPA026US, NPA037US, NPA038US, NPA041US, NPA047US, NPA049US, NPA050US, NPA051US, NPA052US, NPA053US, NPA063US, NPA065US, NPA067US, NPA068US, NPA069US, NPA071US, NPA072US, NPB003US, NPB004US, NPB005US, NPP019US, PEC04US, PEC05US, PEC06US, PEC07US
The disclosures of these co-pending applications are incorporated herein by cross-reference. Each application is temporarily identified by its docket number. This will be replaced by the corresponding USSN when available.
Various methods, systems and apparatus relating to the present invention are disclosed in the following co-pending applications filed by the applicant or assignee of the present invention on May 23, 2000:
NPA001US, NPA002US,: NPA004US, NPA005US, NPA006US, NPA007US, NPA008US, NPA009US, NPA010US, NPA012US, NPA016US, NPA017US, NPA018US, NPA019US, NPA020US, NPA021US, NPA030US, NPA035US, NPA048US, NPA075US, NPB001US, NPB002US, NPK002US, NPK003US, NPK004US, NPK005US, NPM001US, NPM002US, NPM003US, NPM004US, NPN001US, NPP001US, NPP003US, NPP005US, NPP006US, NPP007US, NPP008US, NPP016US, NPP017US, NPP018US, NPS001US, NPS003US, NPS020US, NPT001US, NPT002US, NPT003US, NPT004US, NPX001US, NPX003US, NPX008US, NPX011US, NPX014US, NPX016US, IJ52US, IJM52US, MJ10US, MJ11US, MJ12US, MJ13US, MJ14US, MJ15US, MJ34US, MJ47US, MJ58US, MJ62US, MJ63US, PAK04US, PAK05US, PAK06US, PAK07US, PAK08US, PEC01US, PEC02US, PEC03US
The disclosures of these co-pending applications are incorporated herein by cross-reference. Each application is temporarily identified by its docket number. This will be replaced by the corresponding USSN when available.
Paper is widely used to display and record information. Printed information is easier to read than information displayed on a computer screen. Hand-drawing and handwriting afford greater richness of expression than input via a computer keyboard and mouse. Moreover, paper doesn""t run on batteries, can be read in bright light, more robustly accepts coffee spills, and is portable and disposable.
Online publication has many advantages over traditional paper-based publication. From a consumer""s point of view, information is available on demand, information can be navigated via hypertext links, searched and automatically personalized.
From the publisher""s point of view, the costs of printing and physical distribution are eliminated, and the publication becomes more attractive to the advertisers who pay for it because it can be targeted to specific demographics and linked to product sites.
Online publication also has disadvantages. Computer screens are inferior to paper. At the same quality as a magazine page, an SVGA computer screen displays only about a fifth as much information. Both CRTs and LCDs have brightness and contrast problems, particularly when ambient light is strong, while ink on paper, being reflective rather than emissive, is both bright and sharp in ambient light.
It is an object of the present invention, at least in the preferred embodiments, to overcome or ameliorate at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art, or to provide a useful alternative.
According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a system for providing printed information to a user, the system including:
a user printer module for interfacing the user with a first database containing first information, the module being responsive to the user requesting the first information from the first database for obtaining the first information and generating a first printed media that displays to the user the first information;
identifier means for applying an identifier to the first printed media such that designation of the identifier by the user results in the module generating a second printed media that displays to the user second information obtained from a second database;
memory means for storing account data indicative of either or both of: the number of times the first information is obtained from the first database; or the number of times the second information is obtained from the second database; and
account means being responsive to the account data for selectively accumulating a credit that is allocated to the user and which is redeemable by the user for obtaining selected goods and/or services.
Preferably, the system includes:
a first server means of a first party for containing the first database, the first server means being accessed selectively by the module for obtaining the first information; and
a second server means of a second party for containing the second database, the second server means being accessed selectively by the module for obtaining the second information.
Preferably, the first party and the second party are separate legal entities and the account data is indicative of both the number of times first information is obtained from the first database and the number of times second information is obtained from the second database, the system including calculation means responsive to the account data for determining a financial debit to be applied by the first party against the second party.
In a preferred form, the module is provided to the user by a third party and the calculation means is responsive to the account data for determining a financial debit to be applied by the third party against the first party or by the third party against the second party.
Preferably, the calculation means determines:
a financial debit to be applied by the third party against the first party in proportion to the number of times first information was obtained by the module from the first database; and
a financial debit to be applied by the third party against the second party in proportion to the number of times second information was obtained by the module from the second database.
In a preferred form, the system includes a plurality of modules for a corresponding plurality of users and the calculation means is responsive to the separate memory means for determining the number of times in total that the first and the second databases are accessed by the modules.
Preferably, the credit must be redeemed within a predetermined period. More preferably, the period commences from the time that the credit is applied.
Preferably also, the credit is added with any non-redeemed credit that has previously been accumulated by the user.
In a preferred form, the credit is reduced selectively based upon one or more of the following:
the passage of time;
a failure of the user to timely pay a system usage fee; or
as part or full payment of the system usage fee.
According to another aspect-of the invention there is provided a system for providing printed information to a user, the system including:
a user printer module for interfacing the user with a first database containing first information, the module being responsive to the user requesting the first information from the first database for obtaining the first information and generating a first printed media that displays to the user the first information;
an identifier database for supplying an identifier to the first printed media such that designation of the identifier by the user results in the module generating a second printed media that displays to the user second information obtained from a second database;
an account server for storing account data indicative of either or both of: the number of times the first information is obtained from the first database; or the number of times the second information is obtained from the second database; and
an account maintained by the account server and being responsive to the account data for selectively accumulating a credit that is allocated to the user and which is redeemable by the user for obtaining selected goods and/or services.
Preferably, the system includes:
a first server of a first party for containing the first database, the first server being accessed selectively by the module for obtaining the first information; and
a second server of a second party for containing the second database, the second server being accessed selectively by the module for obtaining the second information.